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Tag: NFF

  • MTN partners LaLiga/NPFL for U – 15 football tournament

    MTN partners LaLiga/NPFL for U – 15 football tournament

    MTN Nigeria, the official communications partner of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), said that it would partner with the Spanish LaLiga and the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the fourth edition of the LaLiga/NPFL U-15 football tournament.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday which stated that the tournament would be competed for by the junior teams of all the premier league clubs.

    The statement also stated that the competition which started in 2017 had seen the telecommunication outfit collaborating with Valuejet to develop grassroots football in the country.

    It said that the competition would kick off on Friday at the Remo Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun.

    It quoted the Senior Manager, Sponsorship and Promotion, MTN Nigeria, Osaze Ebueku, to have commended LaLiga for partnering with MTN in developing football in the country.

    It added that Seyi Akinwunmi, the NFF First Vice-President, gave assurance that products discovered from the competition would form a pool of players for the national team.

    It quoted him as saying that one of the players who was discovered from the first edition of the U-15, Akinkunmi Amoo, was part of the Super Eagles team that played the two-leg World Cup qualifiers against Ghana.

    The statement also quoted Deji Adegbenro, who represented the Country Manager of LaLiga Nigeria, Desmond Chiji, as saying that some of the outstanding players that would be discovered from the competition would be placed in Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid Football Clubs.

  • NFF: Gernot Rohr demands $1m compensation for unfair dismissal

    NFF: Gernot Rohr demands $1m compensation for unfair dismissal

    Former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has dragged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) before FIFA and is awaiting a ruling on a $1m compensation claim for unfair dismissal, BBC Africa reports.

    Rohr was fired in December, weeks for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

    The German is the longest-serving Super Eagles coach as he was appointed in August 2016.

    The NFF had agreed to pay Rohr’s salary until the end of his contract, which expires in December 2022, but he has now gone to football’s world governing body to demand an additional sum for damages.

    That claim was contested by the NFF, and a FIFA tribunal looking into Rohr’s claim for damages concluded last week.

    However, a verdict is yet to be communicated to either party.

  • NFF set to hire Portuguese coach Paseiro for Super Eagles job

    NFF set to hire Portuguese coach Paseiro for Super Eagles job

    The Nigeria football federation (NFF) is set to hire a foreign coach for the Super Eagles of Nigeria to prosecute the AFCON qualifiers starting in June.
    Portuguese coach, Jose Peseiro has been contacted and has reached an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for a monthly salary of $50,000 (about N20.950, 000) to coach the Super Eagles.
    The Portuguese is likely to be unveiled anytime from now .
    Insinuations are rife that Paseiro had already signed a four-year deal subject to extension should he do well with the team.
    Findings show that of all the coaches that applied for the Super Eagles job, Peseiro’s salary demand was the cheapest.
    A source privy to the negotiations with the shortlisted coaches disclosed that NFF President, Amaju Pinnick made a strong case for the Portuguese to be employed even when the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare raised an objection.
    According to the source, the Minister, though accepted the choice of Peseiro, but was not comfortable with the preference of two foreign assistants by the coach.
    The Minister, the source said, wanted at least two Nigerians as the immediate assistants to Peseiro but the NFF assured him that two home-based coaches had already been penciled down to work with the new technical team.
    Recall that Paseiro was initially billed to take over from Eguavoen after AFCON but NFF told coach Eguavoen to continue.
    Paseiro is reconsidered after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 losing the ticket to Ghana.
  • NFF appoints Salisu, Bosso, Ugbade, Bassey to head male National Teams

    NFF appoints Salisu, Bosso, Ugbade, Bassey to head male National Teams

    The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the appointment of Salisu Yusuf as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles B (otherwise known as CHAN team) as well as the U23 (Olympics) team.

    Yusuf, who was Head Coach of the Super Eagles B when the team emerged runner-up of the African Nations Championship in Morocco in 2018, will work with Kennedy Boboye (Assistant Coach); Fatai Osho (Assistant Coach); Abubakar Bala Mohammed (Assistant Coach); Fidelis Ikechukwu (Assistant Coach); Eboboritse Uwejamomere (Match Analyst) and Ike Shorounmu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer) and Suleiman Shuaibu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer 2).

    In other appointments, Ladan Bosso retains his position as Head Coach of the U20 Boys. He will work with former U17 Head Coach, Fatai Amao (Assistant Coach); Oladuni Oyekale (Assistant Coach); Jolomi Atune Alli (Assistant Coach) and; Baruwa Olatunji Abideen (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

    For the U17 Boys, Golden Eaglets, Nduka Ugbade was named Head Coach. He will work with Ahmad Lawal Dankoli (Assistant Coach); Omoniyi Haruna Ilerika (Assistant Coach); Yemi Daniel (Assistant Coach) and; Mohammed Nasiru Isah (Goalkeepers’ Trainer). Ugbade captained Nigeria’s first cadet team that won the FIFA U16 World Cup in China in 1985.

    For the U13/15 Boys known as Future Eagles, Patrick Bassey will be Head Coach and will work with Abdullahi Tyabo Umar (Assistant Coach); Mohammed Kalli Kachalla (Assistant Coach); Ifeanyi Uba (Assistant Coach); Alh. Mohammed Kwairanga (Assistant Coach) and; Abubakar Abdullahi (Goalkeepers’ Trainer).

    The NFF also stated that a new Head Coach for the Super Eagles will be announced and officially unveiled once the processes for his engagement and contract-signing are concluded.

  • Why I prefer foreign to local coaches – NFF President, Pinnick

    Why I prefer foreign to local coaches – NFF President, Pinnick

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick stated reasons he prefers foreign coaches to local counterparts.

    Pinnick hinted that foreign coaches come with a different mindset when compared to local ones, saying that they most times don’t submit to sentiments.

    The Nigeria football federation is presently searching for a new gaffer that will guide the Super Eagles to their next tournaments.

    Recall that Eguavoen resigned as interim coach of the Super Eagles after failing to qualify Nigeria for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar after playing a 1-1 aggregate draw in Kumasi and Abuja.

    Speaking on AriseTV on Wednesday, the NFF president said “I do not disrespect our indigenous coaches. Most especially those that played in the national teams have paid their dues,”

    “There are some things that I see that you ordinarily will not see. There are things that I know in my position that you may not know. The reason I advocate for a foreign coach is because they come in with a different mindset.

    “They can’t be swayed by sentiments. All that they are after is success. This’s why they come with their tactics and methods. It’s not that I do not believe in our coaches, but they need to develop that mindset. We have coaches that are quite competent, but the question is: are they good enough for us for now? I’m a Nigerian and a firm believer in Nigeria but our circumstances are different.”

  • BREAKING: Amaju Pinnick gets new FIFA role

    BREAKING: Amaju Pinnick gets new FIFA role

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Member of the FIFA Council, Mr Amaju Pinnick has been appointed into a new role within the world football governing body’s working group.

    In a letter dated 11th April and signed by Véron Mosengo-Omba, General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football, the NFF boss was informed that he has been nominated by the President of CAF, Dr Joseph Motsepe to be part of the “newly established Working Group on Normalisation Committees”.

    The CAF General Secretary wrote further: “This joint working group, to be led by FIFA, will analyse the applicable legal framework and the governance structure, mandate and mission of Normalisation Committees, and make suggestions to the FIFA Council accordingly.

    “We are confident that your nomination to this working group will positively contribute to the pertinent, and often essential, role played by Normalisation Committees in support of federations and towards the fulfillment of good governance practices”.

  • I won’t run for another term as NFF president – Pinnick gives reason

    I won’t run for another term as NFF president – Pinnick gives reason

    The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick has made it clear that he won’t be running for a third term in office due to family pressure.

    Recall that Pinnick has come under heavy criticisms to resign as NFF President after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    In an interview with ARISE TV on Friday, the former Delta State Sports administrator stated that his time in the Glass House has taken a toll on his relationship with his family.

    He said that he will step aside after his tenure comes to an end later this year.

    “I’m eligible to run based on the status. Do I want to run ?, It’s a no-no, my family is very key to me, they said it’s taking a toll on me and the family.

    “They believed that I’ve done my best and it’s time to move on . It’s a regrettable decision, but it’s the best,” Pinnick said

  • Long-term contract necessary for new Super Eagles coach – Eguavoen

    Long-term contract necessary for new Super Eagles coach – Eguavoen

    Augustine Eguavoen, former Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser/Interim Coach, on Friday in Abuja called for a long-term contract for whoever will be the team’s new chief coach.

    Eguavoen told NAN that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) needs to do this to ensure the new coach gets the Super Eagles to fly high again.

    “I will just say anybody coming in should be given a long-term contract, just like a long-time project,” he said on the sidelines of the presentation of Certificates of Occupancy of houses to members of the victorious Super Eagles team which won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Tunisia.

    Eguavoen said it was going to be difficult to lead the team to success without having a long time to prepare it.

    But he noted that the new coach would still have to rely on the present crop of players.

    “You can’t just raise a new team. It’s always going to be difficult. Any coach that is coming in now will still work with 90 per cent of these players we have now,” the former Super Eagles full-back said.

    Eguavoen who apologised for his inability to lead the Super Eagles to qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup said the team he handled was still a good side.

    “First of all I will like to apologise for our inability to qualify for the World Cup. It’s very painful that we didn’t qualify and I know how much we love football in this country.

    “But we didn’t lose the game. We only lost the ticket, and the fact that it’s a World Cup ticket makes it more painful.”

    He said the fact that lack of time did not allow him to impose his football philosophy on the team was partly responsible for the failure to pick the World Cup ticket.

    “I think we didn’t have enough time. If we had enough time to bring in new players and see them in friendly games and the coach is able to establish his DNA, I think it would have been better. But we need to move on,” the coach added.

    Eguavoen, who is still the NFF Technical Director said all attention should now be on getting a new coach who would ensure qualification for the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

    Already, 46 countries including Nigeria have lined up to compete in the group stage of the 2023 AFCON qualifying competition which begins in June.

    The NFF Executive Committee had on Tuesday mandated the federation’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee to “within the next five days” recommend a new coaching crew for the Super Eagles.

  • Nigeria v Ghana: Senate summons Sports Minister, NFF President over vandalisation of Stadium

    Nigeria v Ghana: Senate summons Sports Minister, NFF President over vandalisation of Stadium

    The Senate has summoned Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare over vandalisation of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja by hoodlums on March 29, after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    The upper chamber equally invited the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick and other agencies involved in the maintenance of stadium.

    The resolutions were sequel to a Point of Order raised by Sen. Michael Nnachi (PDP-Ebonyi) during Wednesday’s plenary.

    The Senate also mandated its Committee on Sports and Youth Development to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the failure of the Eagles to qualify for the World Cup in spite of the numerous government support.

    “Violent reaction by irate fans reportedly took place in the aftermath of the Nigeria vs Ghana qualifier leading to vandalisation of facilities at the stadium and the unfortunate death of Zambian CAF official, Joseph Kabungo.

    “The national stadium was jam-packed with highly expectant Nigerian fans throughout the controversial match and the alleged violent reaction of those fans to the outcome of this match has become a subject of local and international media criticism.

    “A lot of valuable facilities at the stadium were destroyed but the extent of destruction is yet to be determined by the relevant government authority.

    “There is no gainsaying that the destruction will cause the government of Nigeria several millions of naira to either replace or effect repairs.

    “Apart from several unidentified football fans who were injured as a result of this incident, the death of Dr Joseph is a huge loss to the global football community.”

    Supporting the motion, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) said it was a very sad day for Nigeria.

    “It is sad that Nigerians vented their anger and frustration on the physical stadium.

    “There is an urgent need for this Senate, if possible, to intervene to see that our stadia across Nigeria are properly structured and made in such a way that future occurrence or fans invading the pitch or destroying the stadium will be prevented,” he said.

  • NFF gives sub-committee 5 days to recommend new Super Eagles coaches

    NFF gives sub-committee 5 days to recommend new Super Eagles coaches

    The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has mandated one of the federation’s sub-committees to “within the next five days” recommend a new coaching crew for the Super Eagles.

    This mandate is one of the decisions the Committee took at its first formal meeting since Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup billed for Qatar.

    The meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja and attended both physically and virtually by 14 members asked the Technical and Development Sub-Committee to make the recommendations.

    The sub-committee “is responsible for the selection of coaches through its recommendations to the Executive Committee”.

    Aside the expected recommendations on the Super Eagles coaching crew, the sub-committee is also to recommend new coaching crews for three other national teams within this same period of five days.

    These are the CHAN (African Nations Championship) team, also known as the Home-based Super Eagles, the under-20 male team (Flying Eagles) and the under-17 male team (Golden Eaglets).

    “This is to ensure that preparations for their next qualifying tournaments and championships commence in earnest,” the NFF stated in the communique.

    The technical and Development Sub-Committee works with members of the NFF Technical Department.

    The department is presently headed by the immediate-past Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen, who is the federation’s Technical Director.